And now we come to the letter Z – phew it’s been a long and puzzling ride. Which was your favorite puzzle? I’d love to hear!

We end the month with a final contest – a scavenger hunt so to speak.

There’s been a break out at Zeberdee’s Zoo – and all the animals are hiding in the A to Z posts in Paws 4 Puzzles. How many can you round up?

Trace your way back through the puzzles and jot down any animals you find – then send me your list via Contact Me. The person who sends me the longest list will win either an ebook of P.A.W.S. or a PDF copy of Paws 4 Logic.

Presenting Adults Adulting Badly – This new cool company is the brainchild of author and artist Kate Marie Robbins. Here’s what Kate has to say about her new venture:

Adults Adulting Badly is a small business that will sell “I Adulted” pins. There will be other things to come once it’s up and running.

A little about my dream:

I had always seen the “I Adulted” stickers on Facebook and loved the idea, but I didn’t love the fact that stickers are a one-time use only thing. They stop sticking and you can only wear them proudly once. This got the wheels in my head turning. I wanted something more permanent to show that you were proud of doing adult things. Then it hit me… PINS! You could wear them proudly on your shirt whenever you liked or put them on your purse, backpack, etc.

I then started to brainstorm ideas for different pins and designs. With the help of some of my friends we came up with a list and I designed some pins from there. Along with designing the pins, I designed a logo, business cards, and packaging.

Hi Elizabeth! Welcome to YAAR. First things first, can you tell me about your books.

I write a children’s mystery series called The Maisy Files. There are currently three books in the series. The main character is the fourth-grade detective, Maisy Sawyer. She is a bit unlike her peers because she enjoys old-fashioned mystery movies and envisions herself to be in a black and white world when solving her cases.

I’ve read all three of your books and can say honestly that you’ve written a fantastic crop of young characters. Who’s your favorite?

While I adore Maisy, her friend Veronica is my favorite. She is starting to want to help Maisy with some of her cases, but she’s not always very stealthy while she is working with Maisy. Plus, she and I share a deep love of chocolate.

I was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; I had lived in Toronto for a few years (it is where I met my husband) and currently I reside in the Sault Ste. Marie. I have been writing since I was 8 years of age, (if you ask my mother she would say I was telling stories since I was 6) day dreaming, creating, developing characters, places and tales of woe. Attended Sault College, started out in Police Foundations and then graduated from Computer Engineering.

I am constantly researching story ideas, conversations, and scenes in ratty notebooks, napkins and slips of torn coffee stained envelopes. Most favorite questions start off with “What if” … what if this happens, what if that happens, what would it be like if this was real? Or what if that was real? I like reading theoretical physics books, science fiction and hanging out with my favorite minions, my husband Dave and two sons, Dave Jr. and Denziel (self proclaimed ‘Denziel the Best!’).

2. When did you first start writing?

I wanted to be a writer/author at the age of 8.

3. Who are your favorite authors?

There are just too many to name them all but some that have influenced me along my career has been:

Everything around me can cause inspiration. My ideas will just pop in my head out of no where so it seems but then everything just comes together and makes sense as if it was meant to be that way to begin with.

5. Tell us a little bit about your latest book.

Maddox Files: Back to Business is the first book of the Maddox Files Series. We get introduced to our main character, Dice Maddox, and some of her friends. This book is where she finds herself by getting back into a business she loves. She’s 26 years old, lives in Toronto, Ontario, had been a P.I. before but after her uncle who was her partner died in a car accident her family and friends urged her out of the business. Dice has some challenges in the first book but she’s stronger than she thinks.

I have seven books lined up for this series so far, 1-4 has been written, working on 5 now and 6 and 7 are fully outlined. (Wow, DMK)

6. What attracts to writing in your genre?

I have always loved Science Fiction even as a kid, particularly Star Wars and Star Trek. I gravitated towards those types of shows and books. The sense of adventure and awe that comes with this genre appeals to me.

7. What are you currently working on?

I am currently working on the first draft of Book 5 for the Maddox Files Series, Maddox Files: The Light Snuffer.

8. What do you like to do to relax?

I love hanging out with my family, my husband Dave and our two sons Dave Jr. and Denziel. We watch anime or play video games. I also love reading.

9. If you could have any superpower what would choose?

Teleportation where I can travel anywhere and any-when would be awesome!

10. How can readers connect with you?

They can connect with me on any of my social media platforms. Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.

Maddox Files: Back to Business – A riveting jacked-in dreamy mind-bender by R. J. Davies Mornix

Dice Maddox was once a great private investigator. As fate would have it, her partner died in a car accident. Dice ended up in a dead-end job with a cheating fiancé. She has had enough and would like to reclaim her old life or a piece of her old life. The problem is going back to work as a private investigator; she is facing many unforeseeable challenges. She wonders if she can do this kind of work again. Then Ryan Winters walks into her office; she isn’t sure if he is crazy or sane, but he needs her help. After a recent car accident, he finds himself married to a gorgeous woman he has never met before. She’s hiding something. The closer Dice looks into the case, the more she finds herself wondering whether the woman is a demon or an alien. What has she gotten herself into?

Well for starters my name is Genevieve and my last name is even longer and harder to pronounce which is why I go with GK DeRosa (K is the first letter of my last name and DeRosa is my maiden name). I’m a total teenager at heart, in fact one of my husband’s favorite things to say to me is “Grow up!” At which, I turn to him resolutely and shout “Neverrrr!!” I grew up in beautiful sunny Florida and like Celeste, I went to Catholic school from pre-school through high school. I had some awesome English and Literature teachers in middle school that really instilled in me the love of reading. Though I kind of lost track of it for quite a few years when I went to college at The University of Florida (Go Gators!) and decided to follow the more conventional route and study International Business and get jobs in the corporate world. Travel and food are my other two passions so hence the “international”. I am also obsessed with way too many TV shows to mention and most of them are for teenagers of course. My favorite is The Vampire Diaries (the TV show, I didn’t love the books) and it was the source of my inspiration when writing Wilder. Come on, who wouldn’t swoon for Ian Somerhalder?

When did you start writing?

I actually just started writing in September of 2014. I remember it clearly because it was just a few weeks before my birthday and on a whim, I sat at my laptop and began typing away. I had no outline and no real idea of where I was going with it. I had been reading a ton of books at that time, from Twilight to 50 Shades of Grey to Game of Thrones, if it was popular I read it. But it was the YA fantasy that I loved most. I got sucked into series after series – The Sookie Stackhouse series, The Mortal Instruments, Hunger Games, Divergent, The Vampire Diaries, Vampire Academy, etc. etc. And it was around that time that I decided that instead of spending so much time reading, I should try my hand at writing something myself. I found it to be so much fun that I just couldn’t stop! I had a full time job at the time and would write when I was on my lunch break (or if it got really quiet at work ;)) and on weekends. It took me about 3 months to write the first draft of Wilder but I didn’t publish until almost 6 months after that. It was a totally new and exciting experience and also very overwhelming, especially when going the indie route and trying to do everything on your own. But I couldn’t be happier with my choice.

Who are your favorite authors?

I love Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare. I love the fantasy worlds they create and the fun characters. Hunger Games is probably my favorite series of all time, so by extension I like Suzanne Collins too.

What are you reading right now?

That’s a tough question because I am reading so much right now. My to-be-read list in Goodreads is ginormous. Lately I’ve been reading mostly indie stuff – you gotta support! I just finished Badly in Blood by J.N. Colon, an awesome indie author I met through a Goodreads group and I absolutely love her urban fantasy series. I just started Shearwater by D.S. Murphy who is another new and very up and coming indie author. It’s a paranormal mermaid adventure romance, which is something new for me. Outside of the indie world, I’ve been dying to start The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I want to go see the movie too, but I have to read the book first!

Tell us about Wilder?

Why I’d love to! Celeste Wilder is the heroine of the story, a normal teenage girl trying to finish out her senior year of high school and figure out her place in the world when the handsome and intriguing Constantin brothers fall into her life. She’s immediately drawn to them and senses they are keeping secrets from her and needs to find out why. As she grows closer to them she finds out about not only their supernatural past but her own family secret kept tucked away from her for her whole life. It’s a fun coming of age story with romance, adventure and edge of your seat excitement. And the best part is that Celeste’s only just learning about her new life and there is much more to come in the rest of the series.

What attracts you to writing YA?

Like I said before, I’m a teenager at heart and just love that time of life. There are so many possibilities and you have your whole future ahead of you. It’s an extremely exciting time. And I absolutely love young love, I’m a total sucker for romance and all good YA must have some in my opinion!

If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

As far as superpowers go, I’d like to be a witch. They get to practice magic and do all kinds of amazing things, but they’re still human so they don’t have to worry about drinking blood to survive or turning into a wolf on the full moon. As a matter of fact, I think my next series will be about a young witch. I’d really like to explore more about that!

What do you like to do to relax?

Growing up in Florida, I absolutely love the ocean. There’s nothing more relaxing to me than grabbing a good book, slathering on some sun tan lotion and lying out on a lounge chair at the beach. I could stay there for hours and be completely happy.

So what’s next? What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on the fourth and final book of The Guardian Series. Wilder Destiny and Wilder Revelation are both out now and I plan on finishing up the series this summer. It’s very bitter sweet for me as this was my first venture into writing, and it has turned into the most amazing thing. Celeste, Roman, Nico and the rest of the crew have become like family to me and putting an end to their story is extremely difficult. But as I mentioned before, I do have another idea for a new urban fantasy series in mind so I’ll probably start working on that in the fall. I’m also working on a YA urban fantasy/paranormal romance bundle that I’m putting together with a few super talented indie writers. It’ll be a fun compilation of some of the best stuff that’s out there right now. Keep a look out for that in early May.

All that Celeste Wilder ever wanted was to find someone who would sweep her off her feet like she had seen in countless romantic movies. When she meets the gorgeous and mysterious Constantin brothers her senior year of high school, she gets much more than what she had bargained for. As they introduce her to an exciting supernatural world that she never imagined existed, she makes a startling discovery about her own family legacy and is forced to make a decision that will change her life forever.

It was a game they played, only it wasn’t a game. Maggie
Marks held on to Elijah’s childhood promises as a way of escaping a life that
was far from perfect. Elijah Lugo was her neighbor, her best friend, her
family. He was everything her parents refused to be, everything she needed. He
was her first kiss and a witness to more of her father’s drunken rants than she
could count. He was there at her wedding and then held her when it all fell
apart. Elijah was in love with her, but she was afraid loving him would
eventually mean losing him too.

They were no longer kids, pretending everything would work
out in the end.

When Maggie’s father reenters her life in an unexpected way,
revealing long held secrets, her world is turned upside down and she will need
Elijah more than ever.

A story of friendship and family. The promises you make and
the ones you keep.

Michelle Lynn fell in love with reading when she was a kid.
Every kind of book gripped her imagination. As she got a little older, she got
into series like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Currently, her favorite is
the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

Michelle is an escapist. She believes that a book can take
you anywhere and get you away from what’s going on in your own life. You can
disappear inside the pages and become a different person. Growing up, this
became more and more important for her as her life changed dramatically due to
an illness. It started when she was young and got worse over the years. Reading
is what helped her get through it. She’s still getting through it but it isn’t
as hard, mentally, as it once was. Like reading, writing provided her a needed
escape. Her dream is for her books to be able to do that for someone else. Life
is hard but this just makes it a little bit easier.

Reading and writing aren’t Michelle’s only vices as she
deals with the illness that has now become disabling. She’s also an avid hockey
fan. She lives in Florida but never misses a Columbus Blue Jackets game on TV.

Michelle also spends a lot of time with her family –
parents, two sisters, brother in-law, and niece. She’s also constantly
surrounded by animals – dog, 2 cats, a bird- that provide much needed comfort
and inspiration.

She has a college degree in business, economics, and
accounting but has to decide how to tie that to writing because that’s where he
passion lies now.